October 24th, 2023 - Hubermans’s Six Pillars and Play

Do yall listen to Andrew Huberman’s podcast? I don’t listen to every episode (because, wOw, are they long), but I recommend his episode on play pretty often (you can find it about halfway down this page). I also listen to newer episodes from time to time on my walks and also follow him on the socials. He shared a tweet… (an x? what are we calling these now?) … on Instagram recently (10/23/23) about the six pillars for taking care of ourselves and others. Morning sunlight, movement, quality nutrition, stress control, healthy relationships, and deep sleep (anyone else a bit surprised, and also relieved, that cold plunges are not on this list??) I fully believe that playfulness will directly support our efforts to tap each of these pillars every day.

·     Morning Sunlight - a lot of play (if you’re saying whoa whoa, what exactly do you mean by play, check this out here) can be done outside! a morning walk with the pup or family or alone, bopping to some jams, or listening to a podcast. Maybe skipping instead of walking? You might be more likely to stay out longer and get all that sunlight exposure. Mobility differences or just don’t like walks? Take your morning crossword puzzle outside in a comfy chair pointed to the sun. When you incorporate play into this pillar, you’ll be more likely to look forward to getting out there, even when you’re tired.

·     Movement - We are mostly pretty smart, we won’t tricked by the marketing buzzword tactic of “movement” really meaning exercise. And many folks really dread exercise. But if you consider how much of play can be physical, maybe you don’t have to dread exercise. Skip the treadmill, hike a mountain instead. Hate heavy things, don’t pick them up, and play basketball instead. Most of you know that I’m not a fan of gamification for corporate teams, but individually, it’s an excellent tactic. Race yourself, compete with yourself, or others! 

·     Quality Nutrition - (side note: I love that he uses the word quality instead of healthy or (shudder) clean).  A big part of eating quality food a priority involves cooking. In our fast-paced, jam-packed schedules, cooking can easily become something that is just another chore. But if we make cooking, preparing food playful, that changes! One of the easiest ways to make ANYTHING playful is to add color…and hey, just so happens “eating the rainbow” is a pretty great way to get everything you need. Involving loved ones can make cooking playful…sometimes…don’t let those curated instagram reels of parents cooking with their toddlers fool you…that goes horribly wrong much more often that it goes right. So skip that if you want. Get curious about food, about flavors. Try new recipes for an old favorite. Roast your green beans instead of boiling them. Enjoying the process by making it playful will make you more likely to spend a bit more time in the kitchen. 

·     Stress Control - This one is easy. When we play, we get beneficial doses of dopamine (joy), norepinephrine (stress regulation), and other incredible neurochemicals released directly in our brains. The more we play, the less we stress. Wanna be more mindful? Try playing - you can’t really play if you aren’t paying attention to the activity. In a board game, you’ll miss a turn or make a poor decision about your next move… building LEGO, you’ll miss a step and be left confused when yoda’s head doesn’t move like it’s supposed to. In pickleball, you’ll miss a shot. Telling a joke? You’ll mix up the punchline. Play is an excellent avenue to mindfulness and reduced stress.

·     Healthy Relationships - Dale Carnegie told us that 90% of management problems are caused by miscommunication. And it’t not too far a stretch to apply “management problems” as conflict of general interactions and conversations. We misunderstand others when we aren’t curious, when we assume we know what they are saying or what they mean or what their motive is. Sometimes we project our own insecurities or negative feelings on to them. If we start to carry out playfulness in conversation, we can improve our communication thereby directly improving our relationships. The key here is to be sure to understand your partner’s preferred playfulness and sense of humor which isn’t too difficult if you stay curious. (maybe you’d be interested in bringing this concept to your team? I run a Personal Play Identity workshop for groups for just this purpose!)

·     Deep Sleep - A good steady practice of play, whether it includes physical play or not, lends towards balanced sleep patterns because of the way it boost energy in healthy ways. (this one is short because you’re probably tired of reading all this).

Last thought…interestingly, Dr Huberman shared six pillars for hormone health in April 2022, but one was “spirit (mind, body, soul connection)” instead of “healthy relationships”. Play can support and boost that, too.

So, hey, play more! At home and at work.